Reports Summarize Health Services Research from Ministry of Public Health (Definition, Practice, Regulations, and Effects of Balance Billing: A Scoping Review): Health and Medicine – Health Services

2023 JUN 27 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Investigators publish new report on health services. According to news originating from Nonthaburi, Thailand, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Additional billing is commonly and legally practiced in some countries for patients covered by health insurance. However, knowledge and understanding of the additional billings are limited.”

Funders for this research include World Health Organization Centre For Health Development.

Our news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from Ministry of Public Health: “This study reviews evidence on additional billing practices including definition, scope of practice, regulations and their effects on insured patients. A systematic search of the full-text papers that provided the details of balance billing for health services, written in English, and published between 2000 and 2021 was carried out in Scopus, MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science. Articles were screened independently by at least 2 reviewers for eligibility. Thematic analysis was applied. In total, 94 studies were selected for the final analysis. Most of the included articles (83%) reported findings from the United States (US). Numerous terms of additional billings were used across countries such as balance billing, surprise billing, extra billing, supplements and out-of-pocket (OOP) spending. The range of services incurred these additional bills also varied across countries, insurance plans, and healthcare facilities; the frequently reported were emergency services, surgeries, and specialist consultation. There were a few positive though more studies reported negative effects of the substantial additional bills which undermined universal health coverage (UHC) goals by causing financial hardship and reducing access to care. A range of government measures had been applied to mitigate these adverse effects, but some difficulties still exist.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Additional billings varied in terms of terminology, definitions, practices, profiles, regulations, and outcomes. There were a set of policy tools aimed to control substantial billing to insured patients despite some limitations and challenges. Governments should apply multiple policy measures to improve financial risk protection to the insured population.”

For more information on this research see: Definition, Practice, Regulations, and Effects of Balance Billing: A Scoping Review. Health Services Insights, 2023,16. (Health Services Insights - http://insights.sagepub.com/journal-health-services-insights-j117). The publisher for Health Services Insights is SAGE Publications.

A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi.org/10.1177/11786329231178766.

Our news editors report that more information may be obtained by contacting Shaheda Viriyathorn, International Health Policy Program, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand. Additional authors for this research include Woranan Witthayapipopsakul, Anond Kulthanmanusorn, Salisa Rittimanomai, Sarayuth Khuntha, Walaiporn Patcharanarumol, Viroj Tangcharoensathien.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)